Transmission gear for distant control or motion



Dec, 31, 1935. E. YCARETTA 2,026,459

TRANSMISSION GEAR FOR DISTANT CONTROL OR MOTION Filed Nov. 29, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ef/vre fare/fa Dec. 31, '1935.

E. GARETTA TRANSMISSION GEAR FOR DISTANT CONTROL OR MOTION Filed Nov. 29, .1952

"' F'IL'IIIIIA i 29' 30 so a i 1M r k 4 3/ I I: H l 2a n z/enf n'..

,L tforc ears f'fq 2 ,Sheet s-Sheet 2" Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UNITED STATES 'TRANSHISSION GEAB' FOR DI STANT CONTROL OR MOTION Ettore Caretta, Turin, Italy Application November 29, 1932, Serial No. 644,8 83- In Italy December 11, 1931 11 Claims: (Cl. 74-110) This invention relates to transmission gears for producing distant control or motion in which the driving member and the driven member are interconnected by parts having an invariable length.

It is known that owing to their length or to directional changes such transmission gears often necessitate the'use of intermediate gears which usually consist of levers, pulleys or the like.

The present invention has for its object a transmission gearof this kind which provides for complying with very difierent conditions of use and ensures in any case a correct transmission with a minimum of loss by friction and lost motion,

this transmission gear consisting of members or bars, which may be of rigid or linked or flexible character, having toothed portions and interconnected by means of rotatable toothed means as pinions which are in mesh with said toothed portions or said members.

' This invention also comprises the provision of t Figure 1 is a diagram of a transmission gear with two directional changes;

Figure 2 is ,a diagram of a rectilinear transmission gear with an intermediate oil-set drive: Figure 3 is a diagram showing the construction of a transmission gear with reversal of the direction of motion; Figure 4 is a side view of a separate joint of the transmission gear on a'n-enlarged scale;

5 is an end view of the same; Figure 6 is a section taken on line 8-6 of Figure 5.;

Figure 7 is a transverse section taken on line 1-4 of Figure 6, and

. Figure 8 shows a sectional view '0: a modified construction similar to that of Figure 7.

This invention has for its object a transmission gear comprising a number of pull or push transmission members which have ,toothed portions, and joints each including toothed rotatabl"- parts or pinions solid with each other and meshing with the toothed portions of two subsequent'members or of a plurality of said members, the actuation imparted to one of said memhere by a driving member being thus transmitted by its toothed portion tocooperating toothed rotatable parts 01*- pinions and then to toothed portion or portions of other transmission memher or members. V v I Said several transmission members may be in succession to each other and aligned or lying 5 in different directions, or a number of them may branch in different directions from any of said toothed rotatable parts or pinions, or the actuation may be derived from any of said transmission members at .any point of its extent by 10 providing toothed means or pinions at such a point. 4 j Further this invention comprises the provision of joints or transmission units intermediate said transmission members; each of said joints or 15 'units comprises a support carrying a stud spindle I or pivot for pivotally supporting therein said rotatable toothed parts or pinions, as well as sections adjustably carried and supported by said spindle or pivot and support and each compris 20 mg a collar section adapted to provide a portion of a casing to encircle said spindle or pivot and toothed parts or pinions rotatable thereon, and a guide section opening in said collar section and providing a guide for reciprocatory movement of 25 thetoothed portion of a transmission member in engagementwith its. cooperating toothed rotatable part or pinion oi the joint unit.

In Figure 1 a driving member is shown in the form of a lever I ifulcrumed on a stationary 0 point 2 and having a member or bar'4 of the may or coursebe secured by any other manner 35 than by pivotal means, for instance, it may be obtained by means of a toothed quadrant solid with lever l and meshing with a toothed portion of member 4. Said member 4 .is rigid if the motion is to be transmitted by a thrust or both by 40 thrust and pull, while it is flexible shouldths motion have to be transmitted by pull only; In any case, the member I which may consist of the assembly of several parts (tubes, wires, or the like) has at its end a toothed portion} meshing 5 with a pinion i rotatable on a stationary pivot 20 and in mesh with a toothedportion I of a fur ther member I made in the same manner as stated in respect of member 4. Member 8 may be located at any angle with respect to member 4 50 and its end has a final toothed portion 9 which meshes with a pinion it loose 'on a pivot 20 and in mesh with a toothed portion H of a further member I! which acts for example by means 01' another toothed portion ii on a member to 5.

be driven this member being shown diagrammatically as a pinion I4 solid with a shaft of a device (not shown) to be actuated by the manipulation of lever l.

The number of bars as 4, 8, [2, or of joints as 6, I, 28; I8, ll, 28, may be materially larger to impart the desired length and path to the transmission.

By variously arranging the axes of pinions 6, l8 and so on, the transmission gear may follow any desired course in space to connect the driving member I with the driven-element I4.

Figure 2 shows a construction in which from the motion imparted to a member l4 by a member 4 and cooperating means I, 2, 3, a branch control in another direction must be obtained. For such a purpose the member 4 is provided at an intermediate point with a toothed portion [5 meshing with a pinion l6 which is in mesh with a toothed portion ll of a member l1 providing a further branch of the transmission which leads toa second member l8 to be controlled in unison with member l4.

There may be a larger number of branches than one and each branch may have any desired extent.

Figure 8 shows a construction in which the direction of motion is reversed by two subsequent joints andmore particularly the toothed pormember 8' to move in the opposite direction this member producing in turn a motion of member l2 in the same direction as that of member 4.

Such arrangement provides by way of example for making the member 8' in the form of a flexible tie, as is useful in some cases.

The described arrangements may also be combined with each other to secure requisite conditions.

Every joint comprises a unit of the kind shown in Figures 4-7. It includes a support adapted to be mounted on a stationary point and consisting of a fork or stirrup l9 having, a stationary pivot 28 on which one pinion or a number of pinions 22 and 23 solid with each other is or are loosely mounted by means of antifriction rollers 2| for example, said pinion or pinions being in mesh with rack bars 24 and 25 providing the toothed portions of appropriate members as 4, 8, 8 and I2 hereinbefore described. Said toothed portions 24 and 25 are mounted to move axially in rectilinear guides 26 and 2'! having ring-shaped sections 28 and 29- to embrace pinions 22 and 23 and being arranged adjacent each other to provide a box havingits ends closed by plates 38 which are loose on pivot 28 and act to support said box sections 28 and 29.

The box consisting of two ring-shaped sections 28, 29 and of end plates 38 is located with soft friction intermediate the arms of stirrup l9 and the whole unit is assembled by means of pivot stud 28 on which thepinion 22, 23 is mounted, such stud consisting of a bolt having a nut 3| screwed on itsscrewthreaded end. v I

Owing to inherent resiliency of arms of stirrup I9, when the nut 3| is tightened on stud bolt 28, said arms are clamped on plates 38 which in turn clamp sections 28, 29 on each other, such sectionsbeing thus locked in' their respective angular position they have been located in.

By releasing nut 3| the action clamping sections 28 and 29 on each other and intermediate the arms of stirrup I9 is removed and therefore it is possible to alter the angular respective positions of guides 26, 28 and 21, 29. Thereafter 5 the parts may be clamped anew in the fresh selected position by tightening nut 3| again.

Said guides may be provided with cooperating indentations on adjacent edges to make them solid with each other, or an intermediate indentated member as 32 may be located between them for this purpose as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

When the two members of the transmission gear which intersect at a joint are at anangle with each other, there are provided two pinions or two toothed portions of a single pinion arranged at a side of each other and cooperating with toothed portions of said members which are mounted in adjacent guides as in the illustrated construction of joint; on the contrary, when said members are parallel with each other as in the construction of Figure 3, their two toothed portions may lie in the same plane and be mounted in guides pertaining to the same section of box, they beingin mesh with a single pinion.

Instead of two toothed members as above stated, each joint may include a plurality thereof, it being sufficient for such a purpose to assemble on a support as I9 a plurality of box sections each as 28, 28, 38, interconnected by a pivot 28, while a similar member of transmission branches as 25 may be derived therefrom.

Collar sections 28 and 29 of the writer the end collars of a multiple unitcould be in the shape of half boxes adapted to close on to end faces, but the illustrated construction in which all collars are alike and open on both sides is preferred because in this manner each box section may be upturned or reversed with respect to the adjacent one or ones to provide dine-rent condi- 4o tions of operation of the transmission gear.

Figure 8 shows a joint adapted for transmission of motion or control under a varying ratio.

In this construction the joint includes pinions 22', 23' having different diameters, the ratio between several sections of a path of the transmission or between severalpaths of the transmission being thus able of being altered at will. What I' claim as my invention and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:-- 1. A device for producing distant motion or control comprising reciprocating transmission members having portions adjacent-to each other, racks on said adjacent portions of said members, parts each having a chamber having open side ends and a rectilinear guide member having an opening into said chamber,'means for supporting said parts side by side with their chambers in communication with each other, bored plates disposed at the side ends of the assembly of said parts to close said chambers, a pivot extending thron iout said plates and chambers, each of said racks being mounted for reciprocating motion in one of said guide members, a toothed member rotatably mounted on said pivot between said plates in said intercommunicating chambers and meshing with said racks in their respective guide members for transmission of motion to and from each other and means on said pivot for locking together said plates and parts.

2. A device for producing distant motion or control comprising reciprocating transmission members having portions adjacent to each other, racks on said adjacent portions of said members,

' parts each having a collar and a rectilinear guide 76 pivot extending through said disks and collars to connect together said parts with freedom for respective angularadjustment, each of said racks being mounted for reciprocating motion-in one of said guide members, a bored toothed member loose on said pivot within said collars and meshing with said racks intheir respective guide members for transmission of motion to and from each other and means on said pivot for locking together said collars and parts.

g 3. A device for producing distant motion or control comprising reciprocating transmission members having portions adjacent to each other, racks on said adjacent portions of said members, parts each having a collar and a rectilinear guide member having an opening into said collar, said parts being located side by side with their said collars aligned with each other, interengaging means intermediate said collars, bored disks on the side ends of the assembly of said collars, a pivot extending through said disks and collars to connect together said parts with freedom for respective angular adjustment, each of said racks being mounted for reciprocating motion in one of said guide members, a bored toothed member loose on said pivot within said collars and meshing with said racks in their respective guide members for transmission of motion to and from each other and means on said pivot for forcing together said collars and intermediate interengaging means and locking them angularly.

4. In a transmission device for producing distant motion or control, a support, a pivot in said support, a toothed member loose on said pivot,

independent parts loosely mounted side by side on said pivot, each of said parts having a rectilinear guide member tangential with said toothed member and a casing section communicating with the respective guide seat and encircling said toothed member, rack bars each mounted for reciprocation in one ofsaid guide members and meshing with said respective toothed member for transmission of motion to and from each other and means on said pivot for angularly locking together said parts."

5. In a transmission device for producing distant motion or control, a support, a pivot in said support, pinions integral with each other and loose on said pivot, independent parts loosely mounted side byside on said pivot, :':each of said parts having a casing section encircling one of said pinions, and a rectilinear guide member 1 communicating with the inside of the respective casing section and tangential tosaid pinion therein, rack bars each mounted v for reciprocation in one of said guide members and meshing with said pinion within said'respectiv'e casing section for transmission of motion to and ,i'rom each other and means on said pivot for'angularly locking together said parts.

6. A device for producing distant motion or control comprising reciprocating transmission members having portions adjacent to each other, racks on said adjacent portions of saidmembers, parts each having a casing section and a rectilinear guide member having an opening into said casing section and determining the line. oi! action of the reciprocating transmission members for'any adjusted position of, the casing sections,

means for assembling said parts side by side with freedom for respective angular adjustment, each 'control comprising reciprocating transmission members having portions'adjac'ent to each other, 10 racks on said adjacent'portions of said members, parts each having a casing section and a rectilinear guide member having an opening into said casing section and determining the line of action of the reciprocating transmission mem- 15 'bers for any adjusted position or the casing sec 'tions, said parts being located side by side with their said casing sections aligned with each other, a pivot extending through saidcasing sections to connect together said parts with freedom 20 for respective angular adjustment, each of said racks being mounted for reciprocating motion in one of said guide members, a bored toothed member loose on said pivot within said casing sections and meshing withsaid racks in their 25 respective guide members for transmission of motion to and from each other and means on said pivot for locking together said casing sections and parts.

8. A device for producing distant-motion or 30 control comprising reciprocating transmission members having portions adjacent to each other, racks on said adjacent portions of said members, parts each having a casing section and a rectilinear guide member having an opening into said 35 casing section and determining the line of action of the reciprocating transmission members for any adjusted positionoi the casing sections, said parts being located side by side with their said casing sections aligned with each other, interengaging means I intermediate said casing sections, means connecting together said parts with freedom for respective angular adjustment, each of said racks being mounted for reciprocating motion in one of said guide members, a toothed member rotatable within said casing sections and meshing with said racks in their respective guide members for transmission of motion to and from I each other and means for forcing together said casing sections and intermediate interengaging 0 means and locking them angularly. 5 9. A device for producing distant motion or control comprising reciprocating transmission sections, each of ,said racks being mounted Ior reciprocating motion inoneof 1 said guide members, a toothedmember rotatably mounted on 65 said pivot within said casing sections and meshing with said racks, in their respective guide members for transmission of motion to and from each other and means for locking togethersaid 7o parts in any relative angular position.

10. Ina transmission device for producing dis-' tant motion or control, a support, a" toothed member rotatable on support, independent parts loosely mounted side by side on said sup- P rt, each or said parts having a rectilinear guide guide members determining the line of action 01' said rack bars for any adjusted position of said casing sections.

11. In a transmission device for producing distant motion or control, a support, a pivot in said support, a toothed member loose on said pivot.

independent parts loosely mounted side by side on said pivot. each-o! said parts having a rectilinear guide member tangential with said toothed member and a casing section communicating with the respective guide seat and encircling said toothed member, rack bars each mounted for reciprocation in one of said guide members and meshing with said respective toothed member for transmission of motion to and from each other, means for anguiariy lock- 10 ing together said parts and said guide members determining the line of action of said rack bars for any adjusted position of said casing sections.

v E'IIORE CARE'I'IA. 

